Pride and Obligation
by JaywingBlue
Summary: Bronwyn Burke was born under questionable circumstances, but her destiny has always been less that uncertain: as only heir to the Burke line, she must maintain a high standing within the circle of approved Purebloods. However, with conflicting feelings about Pureblood ideals, as well as a certain Black whose been labeled a blood traitor, her future has never been more uncertain.


_Pride. It is the vice of the Slytherin house and the vice of the Wizarding World. We are prideful, therefor we view ourselves as invincible. We are not invincible. No one can live forever, no soul can remain untainted. There is no such thing as a pure soul._

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><p><strong><em>Knockturn Alley - November, 1959<em>**

_A young woman could be seen staggering down the dark street, huddled within an expensive fur-lined cloak. Steam billowed out from under the hood with every breath, and though her stride was stable it was obvious that she was in great pain. Rats watched from the shadows, following her movements with delicious glee, as if waiting for her to drop to the ground with exhaustion. If she noticed these eyes she paid no mind, but continued on towards her destination with a hand on her swollen belly and determination in the set of her shoulders._

_When at last she came to her destination, she halted, staggered slightly, and stopped by the door. Leaning heavily upon the frame, she glanced inside the window, trepidation and doubt beginning to form as a slight kick from her beautiful little parasite reminded her of why she was here. Her father would be furious – concerned, perhaps a bit joyous at her return, but definitely furious. Who wouldn't be? After all, she had disappeared without a word to anyone, been gone for nearly a year, and now was coming back in order to hand off the largest burden she could bequeath on anyone, and all because of her dark prince. Oh, how he had sung to her, his tale of woe and revenge. Oh how she already yearned for him, her Lor-_

_Just like that, her arm stung and her thoughts vanished into a poof, leaving her slightly confused and bewildered. What had she been thinking a moment before? It had something to do with the baby, she was sure, but now it had escaped her completely. _

_Dismissing her vanishing thoughts, she knocked on the door loudly, knowing that her father or, at the very least, Mr. Borgin would be in the shop. Even at this time of night, Knockturn Alley was alive with wizards and witches of the Dark Arts. There truly was no rest for the wicked._

_Soon enough a glow appeared from the back of the shop, and she became nearly giddy at the sight of her father's face, aglow with the light from his wand. He couldn't see her quite yet, a combination of an early frost on the window and the hood of her cloak, but her eyes had lit up the moment she saw him. Even though Caractacus Burke was a callous man in the best of times, he truly was a dependable father, and a predictable sort of being. The shop was his pride and joy, ranking just under his daughter. As soon as he opened the door, a bitter greeting on his tongue, she dropped her hood and his words halted. Father and daughter stared at each other for a full thirty-six seconds before either spoke._

_ "__Rowalda?" the man whispered, genuinely shocked for the first time in years. His daughter had been all but dead to him the moment that she had disappeared from his household without explanation, and he had never believed that she would return. Not after months of searching for her whereabouts and turning up empty. Not after the months of hiring the best trackers – and spending quite a bit of his own money – to try and find her._

_ "__Father!" she replied, hot tears already dripping down her cheeks. _

_ "__Come inside, quickly, before you catch a cold!" He ushered her in, closing the door tightly and locking it before turning back around to find the girl already making her way back to the stairwell that led to the workroom the co-owner of the shop often slept in when his family abode was simply too bothersome a place to return to. There was no doubt that she was the same Rowalda Burke that had disappeared, but somehow she was different. There was a glow about her that Burke did not like the looks of._

_ "__Rowalda, what is the meaning of this?" Burke said sharply once he had followed her up the stairs to find her taking of her cloak, obviously intent on staying for a while. "Where have you been all this time? Did you not stop to consider the effect your disappearance would have on our family's reputation?"_

_Rowalda's head dropped, the euphoria at seeing her father tainting slightly as she realized that her reappearance was not going to be simply accepted. "I apologize, father."_

_ "__Apologize?" The man's face turned red in his anger, and his hand shot out to grip her shoulder and turn her around so he could look in her face. "Apologies mean nothing! I don't wish for your apologies, I want an explanation! This instant, Rowalda!"_

_Then, of course, he really looked at her._

_With her cloak removed, Rowalda Burke's pregnancy was difficult to hide. Her belly was swollen, and her dress – which was obviously made for a pregnant witch – did nothing to hide it. The sleeves, which had slid back when she had placed her folded hands on top of her belly, revealed the mark of an Unbreakable Vow on her right arm. This was definitely his daughter, it was no doubt, but something had happened when she was gone. Something that filled him with a sense of foreboding._

_ "__I can't give a full explanation, father," she began softly, following his eyes to the markings on her arm. "I can't barely remember the full thing myself, but…" Rowalda trailed off, tearing up again, worriedly rubbing her abdomen. "I do know that this baby is very special, and it is destined for great things, father! And I know that I will soon conceive, and for whatever reason her father has sent me back home so that I may be with my family! I know that my Lor-" The girl gasped, clutching her head and becoming very unsteady on her feet. _

_ "__Rowalda?" Burke was at her side in an instant, quickly bringing her to the couch. _

_ "__I'm so sorry," she murmured, looking back up at him with confusion. "I can't seem to remember what we were talking about."_

_Caractacus Burke should have taken that as a sign that all was not well with his daughter, even if she did glow with the light of a healthy pregnancy. As the month went on, it was clear to him that she was quickly nearing her due date, which filled him with a sense of foreboding. Something about the way Rowalda carried the child was worrisome, but not even the best of the Wizarding World's physicians could find a thing wrong! Still, on the night of December 22__nd__ – the Winter Solstice – new life was brought to the Burke family._

_And another life was taken away._

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><p><strong><em>Eleven Years Later<em>**

I woke up in a bleary, half asleep daze, staring at my ceiling for a long few minutes while my mind tried to process the early morning. An excitement buzzed under my skin that felt displaced for a long moment before I realized what today was.

The first day of school.

Jumping up from bed, I took a look around my room. My eyes landed on my packed trunk and I became infinitely more aware. Sniffing slightly, I got to my feet and followed my nose out of my room and down the staircase of our mansion. The familiar white marble floors chilled my feet thoroughly before I finally made it to the dining room, where my grandfather sat at the head of the too-large table. The paper was spread out in front of him, his breakfast steaming on a plate that was already half-forgotten. Through the eleven years of my life, in which he had raised me, I had never once known him to remember to eat his food before he left the table. Like so many things had after my grandmother's passing, making sure he gained at least a little bit of sustenance before he went to the shop had become one of my jobs.

"Grandfather, you really must learn to feed yourself properly." I chided out as I took my seat at his right, nodding dismissively after a house elf sat a food-laden china plate in front of me as well. The only recognition I got from my aloof elder relative was a neutral grunt as he continued to read.

With a heavy sigh, I dug into my breakfast with the ferocity of someone who hadn't eaten in weeks. It was remarkably lucky for me that I had inherited my family's quick metabolism, because otherwise I might not have been so skinny.

"Bronwyn, how many times have I asked you to remember to eat like a lady?" My grandfather scolded once he'd departed his nose from his paper. "You will be heading off to school today and every action that you take will reflect not only on you, but also this family. It's time you took that into consideration!"

Containing the sigh that threatened to burst from my chest, I nodded slightly and set my fork down, taking my cloth napkin and setting it in my lap. Then I commenced eating at a slower, more delicate pace, which earned me a slight nod of approval as those murky grey eyes turned towards their own breakfast plate. What I could never understand about my grandfather was how he could be so very fixated on the reputation of our family name when we ran one of the most famous Dark Artifact shops in Knockturn Alley. His definition of taint was very confusing.

"Do not forget your wand, Bronwyn."

I grimaced into my bacon, not able to contain my sigh this time. Instead of taking me to Ollivander's my grandfather had opted to bestow upon me the great honor of our family wand. It was pretty enough, made of Yew wood and covered in intricate scale designs, but holding it made me feel the slightest bit dirty. Even though I had mentioned it before, my misgivings had been greatly discredited and, thus, I was stuck with the wand. Being reminded was simply a reminder of my predicament: I would be disgraced at school if I didn't have a wand, after all, and there was no time to go off and buy a new one. There really was no choice for me in the matter.

"Yes, Grandfather, I won't forget."

At this he checked his watch and made a slight noise of displeasure: "It is nearly time for us to depart, Bronwyn. Go upstairs and get changed."

Thankful for the excuse to get up from the table, I obediently swallowed my last few bites and walked quickly to my room to get ready. After a quick shower, I quickly chose my clothes: a simple, white t-shirt, dark skinny jeans, and a pair of my favorite black leather boots. Then, of course, I partnered the Muggle ensemble with a shorter style of cloak, one favorable with young witches such as myself, that was like a thinner, slightly strange version of the Muggle pea coat. Grabbing my trunk and my owl, a black Barn variety named Ammon, I did my best to make it back down the stairs with an amount of grace – and failed. In my trek I nearly fell, and at the bottom almost collapsed in a heap at my grandfather's feet.

"I've got my wand!" I held up the object proudly before returning it to the pocket of my robes.

He nodded, and then led the way outside.

The journey to Platform 9 ¾ was a quick one, as grandfather wasn't one to dilly dally, especially when there were Muggles around. Immediately upon our entrance into the station we saw a group of nervous youngsters, all with carts laden with trunks and owls and schoolbooks such like mine. Half-bloods. I regarded them with equal parts pity and curiosity, as I had never been allowed to associate with such people in my life. I had most often been busy helping out at the shop, and had only ever been exposed to Pureblood children at dinner parties that my grandfather had attended. Bellatrix Black and Rodolphus Lestrange, for example. Both were older than me and had no interest and having a silent shadow such as myself in their presence.

"Bronwyn, you must show them how it is done." Grandfather turned his nose up at those of lesser status and gestured towards the pillar I was supposed to fling myself through. Ignoring the slight bit of nervousness that had developed, I confidently pulled my cart into place and stared at the wall. My competitive streak was blaring as I tossed a pompous look at the bystanders, one of which was gaping at me open-mouthed while clinging to a long, dark-haired boy. His unimpressed look caused me to glare, surprising both of us, and I flipped my hair over my shoulder and faced off with the brick. A quick push was all the cart needed, and suddenly I was hurtling through the seemingly solid stone and emerging into the busy platform.

A hand on my shoulder startled me slightly, as focused as I had been with observing my surroundings. "That was well done. Your performance was excellent." I glowed with the compliment, following like a puppy after my grandfather, who quickly got my trunks put onto the train and led me towards where I was to board. "Now, Bronwyn, I trust you'll find appropriate partners to find a seat with on the train?"

I deliberated a moment, trying to figure out who exactly I was going to need to fall in with. As I had mentioned earlier, Bellatrix and Rodolphus were a bit older than me, so I felt that my presence wasn't going to be accepted. Not to mention the fact that I was quiet and reserved with Bellatrix, needless to say, was – at times – of a questionable mental state. I did, however, remember mention of the Black family having a boy near my age. It was possible I could find companionship with him.

"Yes, of course." I glanced around, hoping such people would appear at my mental bidding, but no such luck.

Noticing my discontent, Grandfather sighed. "This way, Bronwyn. We will find suitable friends for someone of your status."

With his height advantage, Grandfather quickly located the other Purebloods. They were together in a thick clump, distinguished by their haughty airs and cold glances. The younger ones, too, stood quiet and complacent by their parent's sides. However, the school-aged ones like me stood in a circle close by, already gossiping away. From my place at my grandfather's side I immediately picked out the long black curls of Bellatrix Black, who was chomping on gum and sneering at passing Half Bloods. Narcissa Black, her sister, was nearby. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail. If I remembered correctly, Narcissa was a second year, and Bellatrix in her fifth. Rodolphus, fifth year like Bellatrix, was chatting with the third year Lucius Malfoy, who wore his blond hair slightly long and was a much sought-after Pureblood boy. Andromeda Black, who was entering her third year alongside the gorgeous man, was twirling her light brown hair around her finger in disinterest. There were several others whom I didn't know the names of, but none so interested me as Lucius. Even though I was eleven and not quite interested in boys as partners quite yet, he was still remarkable to look at.

"Ah, Caractacus Burke! You've left your shop for once, I see!"

"Hello Cygnus," Grandfather regarded him for a moment before turning to his wife. "You're looking as lovely as ever, Druella."

The lady blushed and shook her head at the elder man, patting her husband consolingly on the arm as he bristled at his sudden dismissal. "Caractacus, we were all so disappointed when you couldn't make it last week!"

Another lady, who I recognized as Walburga Black, clung to her husband Orion as she giggled slightly. "We had the house elves perform all evening! It was quite merry!"

Grandfather only nodded slightly, then greeted another member of the party: "Abraxas, I was hoping you could introduce your boy Lucius to my granddaughter."

"You have a granddaughter?" Walburga exclaimed, drowning out any chance of a reply. "I thought your only child died off years ago!"

There was silence for a moment at her blunder, before her husband spoke. "Walburga, this is no time to be bringing such matters up!"

Walburga frowned, "But who is the father? And why-"

"Walburga!"

The woman wilted, the conversation pausing at the show as Druella raised a perfectly trimmed eyebrow. Then, of course, attention was unfortunately diverted to me as Grandfather chose that moment to push me out in front of him. I blinked at the sudden focus of those around me, and a glance proved that even the other teens were looking now. Under the scrutiny of so many eyes I wanted to wilt, but instead stood taller and met the eyes of each adult, ending with Mr. Abraxas Malfoy.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, sir." I curtsied as best I could without a skirt, careful not to fall. Then I repeated the action towards the others. "I am glad to be in your presence once again, Mr. and Mrs. Black, and to meet you, Mrs. Walburga Black. I also apologize for my grandfather's lack of attendance to your dinner the other evening. I usually oversee the house elves when they organize his calendar, but I am afraid I was ill that week."

Another moment of silence at my show of manners before suddenly I found myself closely inspected by two very impressed noble ladies. "Such a show of manners!" Druella said, clearly pleased, taking a lock of my long brown hair in her fingers and playing with it.

"I do wish my Sirius would be more like that!" Walburga moaned, squishing my cheeks in a manner more befitting an overzealous aunt than a woman just barely meeting a child they were unrelated to.

Abraxas cut in: "I would be glad to introduce them. Lucius!"

The boy appeared at his father's elbow in a second. "What is it, father?"

The cold blue eyes of father and son turned on me in a second, inspecting and appraising. "This is Bronwyn Burke, and her first year starts today. I trust that you and her friends will make sure she gets acquainted with the correct types of people? It is of the utmost importance that she not fall in with the wrong sort."

"Of course, father. Follow me, Bronwyn. We were all just about to board the train!"

With a slight nudge, my grandfather bid me follow, so I did. Just like that I fell in with a pack of the most famous Pureblood offspring. My nerves were at an all-time high but I kept them hidden, all too aware of the eyes on me. I found myself walking next to Narcissa who, I supposed, was a good place to start as far as friends went.

"Hello, Narcissa."

She looked at me, slightly surprised, but smiled. "Hello Bronwyn. It's been quite some time since I've last seen you. You've grown quite a lot since then."

I grimaced slightly, sniggering a bit as I relaxed. "Haven't we all, since you, your sister and I all played together as tots?"

Giggling lightly, she agreed. "We used to stage mutinies against her all the time! It was quite fun. Whatever happened to those playdates?"

"We grew old!"

As the two of us bonded quickly, I realized that we were falling behind. Our main group had nearly reached the train, while the two of us were several lengths away still. Narcissa noticed at the same moment I did, and picked up her pace, grabbing my hand in a sisterly manner to help me keep up. Somehow, however, in all the confusion we got separated. A sudden tide of people rose up and cut me off, and I was completely surrounded by much taller people all bustling around. When one knocked into me, I nearly toppled to the ground and was braced for the impact of the cobblestone, my eyes shut tightly, shocked when instead a hand steadied me.

I opened my eyes and faced my savior, finding him much closer to me than I had originally predicted. "Oh!" I said in surprise, backing up only to be pushed back towards him. "I'm so sorry!"

He smirked, "I'm not."

Immediately my cheeks colored.

"I'm Bronwyn Burke," I blinked, slightly confused as to who exactly had given my mouth permission to introduce me.

"Pretty name," he winked, though suddenly he seemed quite a bit more reserved. "Seems you're being looked for, too. Hey there, Narcissa!"

I turned to see my blond friend push through the crowd in a slightly panicky way to grab my hand and pull me away. "Bronwyn! We've picked out a compartment! If you don't hurry I fear that Lucius and Rodolphus will invite their entire gang of friends in their, regardless of etiquette!"

"Well, we'd better get to it then! It was nice to meet you…" I blinked at my savior, surprised by the strange look of longing on his face.

"Black. Sirius Black. It was good to meet you too, Bronwyn Burke. I hope we'll get another chance to run into each other."

With that, Narcissa pulled me through the crowd and quickly onto the train, where we were safe from the threat of being trampled. While we stood there, panting, I peered out the door to try and catch a glimpse of the mysterious boy. A tug on my arm caught my attention. Narcissa stood there, shaking her head, a knowing look in her eyes. She glanced around before she came closer to me, speaking in a whisper. "You mustn't speak with him ever again, Bronwyn. Sirius Black is just a few steps short of being labeled a blood traitor and disownment! I'll do you a favor by not mentioning it to the others, but… you really mustn't!"

All I could do was make a gesture of agreement and follow her, shocked by the way things had turned out. The entire train ride to Hogwarts, in fact, was a cloudy one for me. Sitting in the packed compartment, I met one other first years who had been taken under the wings of Rodolphus, Bellatrix, and Lucius: Severus Snape. There was also a boy who was only referred to as Avery – his surname – who was a second year along with another boy, Mulciber. It was obvious the way he scowled whenever anyone mentioned the topic of his first name that it was something detestable, but it was never stated outright, a fact which he seemed very relieved about.

"So, Bronwyn, how come we've never seen you around before?"

The question was directed towards me by Avery, who I could tell was already on the way to being a very cruel person. Though I couldn't say a word, I was nearly sick with the personalities of everyone around me. Arrogance and aloofness I could handle, but insanity and harshness were not. For the same reason my own wand gave me goosebumps, I was well on my way to detesting most of the people I had begun to call 'friends'.

"I act as the lady of the Burke house, as the only surviving female, and I spend my free time working in the less dangerous sections of Borgin and Burkes. It doesn't allow much time for socialization."

Impressed, the boy leaned back in his seat and looked me over in a way that made my skin crawl. "A Pureblood and gorgeous to boot, you're definitely going to be a catch. Fancy a snog later? That way I can say I was the first!"

My eyes grew round and wide as the boys guffawed, obviously all amused by Avery's joke. Narcissa shook her head and rolled her eyes, Bellatrix cackled alongside the males, possessively stroking Rodolphus's thigh.

"Lay off, Avery," Narcissa said once they were done. "You couldn't hope to land yourself a catch such as Bronwyn. And you're both too young for that sort of thing anyways! The day I see someone snogging a first year is the day I agree to let my mother just go ahead and arrange a husband for me!"

"Haven't had your first snog yet, eh, Narcissa?" Rodolphus smirked, obviously amused with the girl's confession. "Well, it seems Avery here is more than ready to help someone out with that. And I would agree that you're just as lovely as Bronwyn, here! Don't you agree, Lucius? Severus?"

Lucius nodded, smirking at the girl on my left as she blushed profusely and shook her head. Severus, on the other hand, only seemed bored with the conversation. He stared at the window, obviously distracted, and I was overwhelmed by a sudden urge to befriend him. Out of all the goons in the compartment with us, he seemed by far the favorable one.

"What about you, Severus? I don't believe I've ever met you, and I've gone to many of the dinner parties held by Bellatrix and Narcissa's family."

The boy simply glanced at me before turning back to the window coldly.

"Don't mind him, Bronwyn. I would be sore too if I just got beaten out by some nasty blood traitors!"

Again the boys collapsed into laughter, noting the color that had come into Severus's cheeks and the obvious dip of his eyebrows. He parted from the window and looked at me as if to blame me for this sudden turn of events. Then he abruptly mumbled an excuse about going to the bathroom and fled the compartment.

The rest of the train ride was uneventful.

I met back up with Severus as the first years were getting onto the boats. He was lagging towards the back and as soon as I spotted him I beelined to his side. Something in me wanted very badly to befriend the boy, even if he looked as if he hadn't seen a good bath for quite some time. "Listen, Severus, I'm sorry for what happened back in the compartment. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

He simply shrugged and frowned at me sourly, stepping forward as more of our classmates got on the boats. "Whatever, Burke. Don't think I don't know what you're doing."

"What?" I asked in confusion, tilting my head.

"Cosying up to Lucius, Narcissa, and the others!" He sneered, "You're just trying to pair off with another Pureblood! Isn't that what all you Pureblood girls care about? You're not really at Hogwarts for any reason other than to meet your future husband!"

Anger rose up hot and vicious. "Severus Snape, you may think you've got me all figured out, but I can assure you that you are _wrong_. I was genuinely sincere about my apology, and if you think so little of me to think that all I'm here to do is find a husband then you are clearly more of a pompous jerk than all the other boys I've met so far today – combined! You shallow, miserable little-"

"Oy! Snivellus! Made another bird mad already? You're really on a roll, aren't you?"

Severus gritted his teeth and made no move to face the voice, while I shifted towards the sound. A group of four boys approached, of which I recognized only one: Sirius Black. Immediately my warning bells began going off, warning me that I was in a position that would not be favorable to my status.

"Hello there, little bird. My name's James Potter. I'll have to apologize for Snivellus's behavior, he seems to have a knack for angering girls. Such an unfortunate blighter. I hope you'll take pity on him."

Potter. I knew that name. They were considered blood traitors, but a Pureblood family all the same. One that I was more than likely not supposed to associate with.

"Leave him alone, James," a girl had approached, and I couldn't help but notice the way Severus's face lit up. "Haven't you said enough?"

There was obviously no room for me in this conversation. I looked for a quick way out but noticed that we were the last ones left, one boat waiting for us. The boat was empty, and no one seemed to be waiting for us, so I could only assume that it was magically steered. And it seemed that I was going to be stuck on a boat with all of these people, at least two of which I needed to avoid like the plague. Sighing, I turned back to the conversation, mentally grumbling. How the hell were seven of us supposed to fit on a boat together anyways?

"Can we please just get on the boat?" I asked in a civil manner, trying not to let my irritation seep into my voice. "I would rather not spend the entire Sorting Ceremony with you all squabbling!"

For the first time since they'd started, they stopped, all at once turning to stare at me. Sirius grinned and swaggered over, throwing an arm around my shoulder good naturedly. I stiffened at his touch, wondering if it was unwanted or not. He was, after all, quite good looking, though not quite as dashing as Lucius. Still, he was very nearly a blood traitor!

"Let's all listen to this pretty girl, eh? She seems to have a pretty smart head on her shoulders! Might even be a Ravenclaw, you know. We might have to be asking her for notes later on!" He winked at me, taking my blush as a sign that I was flattered. Instead I was furious that he suggest that I would be in any other house than Slytherin. I shrugged his arm off of my shoulder and walked to the boat, ignoring him coldly. There was no _way _I would be Ravenclaw. It would be social suicide!

"That pretty girl doesn't seem to like you too much, Black!" James teased behind me as they all followed me onto the boat. As soon as we were all on, we embarked, and I had been stuck at the front seated next to a small, mousey boy whose name I learned was Peter Pettigrew. The poor thing had the most awful haircut and also the unfortunate pudginess of young age. Already I felt sorry for him. Getting stuck with such rubbish company on your first day!

A hand tapped my shoulder, and I twisted around in my seat to see the girl from before smiling at me and offering a hand. "Lily Evans, it's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Evans?" I asked, daintily accepting her handshake and hiding my conflicting emotions effortlessly. Not a Pureblood. Why did somehow of such low status have to look so kind? I regarded her carefully for a long moment before turning away, staring up at the splendor of Hogwarts castle. Soon enough I wouldn't have to deal with this dilemma. I would be surrounded by my rightful peers.

"_Hey_, you're supposed to tell her your own name!" Sirius snapped harshly.

Again I turned back to face him, meeting his irritated gaze. The whole boat seemed to hold their breath. Severus, who was seated on one side of Lily, offered no help, only stared at me with a mild curiosity. James, on the other side of Lily, also seemed rather irritated with my lack of manners. The last boy, the one next to Sirius was too wrapped up in his book to seem to care about the goings on of his surroundings.

What should I do, in a situation such as this one?

"My name is Bronwyn Burke," I said finally, meeting Lily's eyes. She seemed to brighten slightly at my response, but then deflated when I continued. "I will most definitely [PM1] [PM2] _not _be in Ravenclaew, either!" I glared icily at the offending boy, then faced back towards the front.

As soon as the boat landed, we were quickly escorted by a rather frantic teacher to where the rest of the first years were standing. We parted ways with James and his troupe, Severus and I did, though I felt as if Severus was even quieter than before. I knew with the utmost certainty that he was simply tolerating my presence because we both belonged to the same group of friends (if you could call them that after such short a time). Nevertheless I appreciated his company.

"Alright, first years!" the professor in front of us shouted, "You're going to follow me through these doors, where you will be sorted into your houses. Please do this in an orderly fashion, as it will take quite some time otherwise, and I'm sure you would all like to eat sometime before midnight!"

There were some nervous chuckles, and the huge doors before us opened.

The Great Hall was amazing. From the second I stepped foot inside of it, I was speechless. My mouth froze in the shape of a 'O' as I gaped up at the ceiling, patterned like the night sky, where floating candles lit up the room. Along the entire hall there were tapestries for each of the houses: silver and green for Slytherin, red and gold for Gryffindor, yellow and black for Hufflepuff, and blue and bronze for Ravenclaw. It was a spectacular show of magic! Not to mention the ghosts! At the Slytherin table I could see the famous Bloody Baron surveying the marching line of first years. Then Nearly-Headless Nick scared some first years near the front, which I couldn't help but laugh at. And then there were the other Hogwarts ghosts that floated around, chatting with students and teachers alike.

Finally, when I turned my gaze to the front of the room, I saw the Sorting Hat. At first I didn't recognize it, only having heard accounts from various books describing magical artifacts that my grandfather had lying about, but as soon as I saw it move slightly I knew. Though unimpressive in looks, the Sorting Hat was one of the greatest magical items that Hogwarts possessed.

A man stood at the podium, the raised his hands. The room went silent.

"Friends, today is the start of another great year!" He began, his voice echoing. "But before we begin our feast, I would ask that you would turn your attention to the front, as these fresh minds are sorted into a house, no, a family that they will be a part of for years to come. Professor McGonagall, if you would do the honors?"

The lady standing by the Hat pulled a scroll out of the pocket of her robes, and read the first name:

"Abbot, Amelia!"

The Sorting Hat was barely on her head a second before it screamed out: "Gryffindor!"

And such, the ceremony commenced.

I stood rather nervously, trying not to bite my nails.

"Hey, Bronwyn."

"Hello, Sirius." I responded somewhat distractedly, glancing his direction, too struck by my own nerves to work up the gall to act like a proper Pureblood.

"What you did on the boat, that wasn't very…" He paused, his jaw tightening.  
>I sighed, glancing back up towards the front. Professor McGonagall was still in the As, and it didn't seem like it was going to be my turn anytime soon. Plus, it seemed that Severus had finally found his opening to leave me behind and was nowhere in sight. "I know, and I'm sorry."<p>

"You're… sorry?" He looked at me strangely, trying to judge if I was serious, which I just raised an eyebrow at.

"Yes, I acted terribly rudely. Lily, as a person, doesn't deserve that. However, due to my status, I am held under certain obligations." Grimacing, I turned away from his shocked face. Oh, blast. I really shouldn't have revealed my confliction.

He simply stared at me. "Obligations? Are you joking?"

I shook my head, "I'm a Pureblood, Sirius. I suppose _you _of all people wouldn't understand, but-"

"If you haven't noticed," Sirius rolled his eyes, "I'm also a Pureblood. I just don't let stupid things like my parents and their stupid values guide my life!"

My eyes cut to him sharply, the mention of parents being too much. "Well, if you haven't noticed, some of us weren't lucky enough to get _parents_ to impose their values onto us! I was raised by my grandfather, thank you, and he's the only family I have left. I'll be damned if I disgrace my family name for something as selfish as myself, like you!"

Sirius narrowed his eyes, advancing slightly, anger evident in his features. "You don't know me."

"And you don't know me," I responded furiously, meeting his gaze, unflinching.

"Burke, Bronwyn!"

I broke our staring match as my name was called, my heart thumping wildly again at my mention. My heart crept up into my throat and for a brief moment all I could do was stand there, frozen. Professor McGonagall, confused, called my name out again. Still frozen in shock, I couldn't even breath.

Then came a nudge at my side.

I met Sirius's eyes once again, surprised by the sudden softness in them. "Burke, you better go up there and meet your obligations, otherwise this whole rivalry is going to be very bland."

"Rivalry?" I stated, bewildered.

"What else is a pretty Slytherin like you and an unfortunate-looking Gryffindor like me going to end up? No, I think a rivalry will be the best for both of us. I certainly don't want to be your enemy."

Blushing, I nodded curtly. "I would rather not be yours either, Sirius." With that, I spun towards the front of the room, and all at once my Pureblood confidence returned. Standing tall, I pushed through the crowd to the front and gracefully perched on the stool, feeling hundreds of eyes stare. In order to avert a nervous breakdown I closed my eyelids, and felt the hat being placed on my head. I was expecting an immediate declaration. After all, what else could I be other than Slytherin?

_"__Hmm, tricky girl, tricky girl. You're going to be a difficult one, for sure?"_

I gave a little start, surprised that he was speaking _into me_ rather than to the crowd. "What's so difficult about Slytherin?" I whispered back.

_"__Oh, you're Slytherin alright, but you're something more. Brave. Noble. But you can't be a Gryffindor, you say, so I cannot place you there. Intelligent. Witty. Ravenclaw would suit you quite well. Not Hufflepuff, though. Never Hufflepuff. You choose Slytherin, out of all? Is that truly where your heart lies?"_

"My heart lies with my family, and my duty as a Pureblood." I frowned, disturbed by his long silence. Already it seemed like he had taken too long.

_"__Yes, yes. I suppose it will have to be… but are you sure you don't want to change your mind? Gryffindor and Slytherin are two sides of the same coin, after all. Each is just a noble, just as pure."_

"No, I will not change my mind."

_"__Alright, then. You'll be in: _Slytherin!"

It took me a long moment to realize that he had shouted the last word aloud. My face broke out into a grin as the Hat was taken off of my head, and I jumped off of the stool and swelled with pride at the loud cheers that came from my table. I laughed, taking a few steps towards the table, before a thought struck me. I turned back towards the crowd of waiting first years and found Sirius with my eyes. His face showed a bit of sadness, but he still smiled back at me when I smirked. _'Rival' _I mouthed, giving him a thumbs up, and he returned the gesture with a laugh.

Quickly I walked towards my new house, and smiled widely as I sat down next to Narcissa and the rest of the gang. People were patting me on the back and introducing themselves, congratulating my entrance into the best house at Hogwarts.

"Well done, Burke," Lucius grinned from the opposite side of the table. "I have to admit, for a bit there I was sure you would end up in Ravenclaw, but the Hat never chooses wrong!"

Of course, the Hat didn't exactly have a choice, now did it?

The feast passed quickly, and we gobbled up an enormous amount of food. It was a long time before the students were sent off to bed, but when we were I ignored the words of the Head Boy (an action which would become common for me), and stayed back in search of a familiar face. It didn't take long for Sirius to exit the hall with his own house, and when he saw me he jumped out of line without hesitation. Grabbing my hand, he pulled me down a side hall where we couldn't be seen.

"Congratulations," he grinned, pointing at my Slytherin badge, proudly displayed on the breast of my robe. "Will your grandfather be proud?"

"Of course!" I tossed him a smirk, already knowing the answer to the question I was about to ask. "And yours? How will they feel about you getting sorted into Gryffindor?"

He sniggered, "Oh, mother is going to have a fit! But it's not as if they didn't already predict it, though I have a feeling they always secretly hoped I would turn around and be a good little Pureblood."

We quieted down for a moment, both remembering who we were and what exactly we were doing. Mouth dipping into a frown, I stared at the ground for a long moment, sorting through my thoughts. Why was it that this boy, who I was obligated to hate, already seemed like so dear a friend? I was proud of my Pureblood status, proud to be a Slytherin, and yet… I couldn't bring myself to do what the rest of my Snake peers would do: hate him. "Sirius, is there ever a possibility… that you could change? I mean, maybe just on the surface?"

"And what?" He wrinkled his nose in disgust, "Pretend I'm a filthy, purity-obsessed, Mudblood hating ass? Not even if you paid me a million Galleons."

That stung a bit, but I had known that he was going to say that. "Yes, sorry, it was foolish of me to ask. It's just… I can't bring myself to hate you, even though I should. I feel like we could be very good friends. Rivals just doesn't seem to fit in my mind."

Sirius gave me a soft punch in the shoulder, smiling. "Same here, Bron. Let's just give it time. For now we can both pretend we hate each other, okay? And we can be secret friends, meeting in secret places. It'll be fun! Like we're Aurors on a mission or something!"

I considered it and, appeased, I nodded. I seemed to do a lot of nodding. "Sounds good to me, Black."

"Oh, are we going by last names now, Burke?"

"That's what enemies do, after all, isn't it, Black?"

"I suppose they do, Burke!"

We both laughed, but when the laughter ended, we both knew that we had better get to our Common Rooms before somebody discovered us missing.

And so was the start of my awkward (and secret) friendship with Sirius Black.

* * *

><p><em>(Author's Note: And thus, my new mini-series begins. As you can see, it's about Sirius Black and my OC, Bronwyn Burke. One important thing about this fic that I would like to point out is that it is planned to be nearly completely canon. Everything I believe would have occurred with James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter and the Slytherins will happen, and Lily and Potter will end up together. The slight exception is that Bronwyn will be inserted into these events. <em>

_Also, I would like to admit right now to being a major Potterhead, yet still I spent the longest time double-check wizard family trees before I wrote this. Caractacus is really a character in the Harry Potter world, and he really is believed to be the co-owner of Borgin and Burkes. However, his daughter and Bronwyn are my creations. Everything other than the plot, Bronwyn, and Rowalda belong to J.K. Rowling._

_Now that I'm done with my long note, I will say goodbye. Review, favorite, follow! Ciao, ducklings!)_


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